ABSTRACT
Previous chapters have illustrated some characteristics of language which may have a bearing on how we conceptualize children, and subsequent chapters will consider how children and adults use language in interactions. This chapter sets out to explore some more generic questions about the relationships between individuals, language and society, with specific reference to children. In addressing these, I shall broaden the discussion out from the traditional concerns of child language research, and (within the limits of my own knowledge and expertise) draw on a number of ideas from various disciplines in the social sciences.
